The right cloud calling tool depends on whether your team mainly dials out to sell or answers inbound support calls. Sales diallers live inside the CRM, while contact centre suites are built around queues. Whatever you shortlist, check local numbers in the countries you call and test real calls from your own team before you commit.
If your reps spend the day dialling leads from a CRM, or your support team lives in a call queue, the phone tool shapes their whole shift. Here are ten alternatives to CloudTalk, in no particular order. The table comes first, then how they split, then a line on each.
Ten calling platforms at a glance
| Tool | Calling tool type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Aircall | Cloud phone for CRM teams | Calling joined up with CRM and helpdesk |
| Aloware | CRM-native calling and texting | Calling and texting from inside the CRM |
| CallHippo | VoIP business phone | Virtual numbers and quick VoIP setup |
| Dialfire | Cloud contact centre | Automated cloud contact centre work |
| Freshcaller | Cloud contact centre | Inbound support queues in the cloud |
| Kixie | Sales dialler | Power dialling and click-to-call for sales |
| Nextiva | Business phone and CX | Phone, contact centre and receptionist in one |
| Ringover | Calling and messaging | Calling, messaging and collaboration together |
| Voiso | AI contact centre | AI-led customer service calling |
| Vonage | UC, contact centre and APIs | Communications APIs alongside phone and contact centre |
Outbound selling or inbound support?
This is the split that'll matter most. Dialler-led tools are built for outbound sales: power dialling, click-to-call from the CRM, voicemail detection and call logging against the deal. Contact-centre tools are built for inbound: queues, routing, agents and service levels. All-round phone systems sit between, giving a whole business numbers and calling without being specialists at either end.
Plenty of teams need a bit of both, and that's normal. If that's you, decide which side carries more of your calls and choose for that side first. It's easier to add a light dialler to a support tool, or a simple queue to a sales tool, than to force one into the other's job.
Three groups, ten tools
Sales diallers and CRM-first calling. Aloware lets teams call and text leads from HubSpot, Salesforce or GoHighLevel without leaving the CRM. Kixie is built around a power dialler and click-to-call, with AI call routing.
All-round business phone systems. Aircall unifies channels and connects to CRM and helpdesk tools. CallHippo offers virtual numbers and an AI voice agent. Ringover puts calling, messaging and collaboration in one platform. Nextiva combines a business phone, contact centre and an AI receptionist.
Contact-centre suites. Freshcaller is a cloud contact centre for support teams. Voiso and Dialfire both offer cloud contact centres with AI and automation. Vonage spans unified communications, contact centres and communications APIs, which suits teams that might want to build their own call flows later.
One line per tool
A to Z.
Aircall
Best for: Sales and support teams who want calling and other channels unified, connected to the CRM and helpdesk they already run.
Aloware
Best for: Reps who call and text leads from HubSpot, Salesforce or GoHighLevel without leaving the CRM, with a power dialler and AI voice agents.
CallHippo
Best for: Businesses wanting a VoIP phone system with virtual numbers in many countries and an AI voice agent, set up quickly.
Dialfire
Best for: Contact centre teams who want cloud calling with automation and AI tools built in.
Freshcaller
Best for: Customer support teams who want a cloud-based contact centre.
Kixie
Best for: Outbound sales teams using a power dialler and click-to-call, with AI call routing, voicemail detection and CRM integration.
Nextiva
Best for: Companies wanting a business phone, contact centre and AI receptionist inside one customer experience platform.
Ringover
Best for: Teams who want calling, messaging and collaboration together in one AI-enriched platform instead of several apps.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Voiso
Best for: Customer service and call centre operations looking for AI-led contact centre software.
Vonage
Best for: Organisations needing voice, messaging and video across phone systems, contact centres and communications APIs they can build on.
My advice: test the calls, not the feature list
Every vendor here has a long feature list, and most of those lists don't look very different. What separates them on a normal working day is call quality, number coverage and how well calls sync to your CRM. They'll vary by country and by network, so a tool that sounds great in a demo in one country can be patchy in another.
Ask each vendor whether they offer local numbers in every country your team calls, and whether those numbers can be ported in and out. Then put a few of your own reps on a trial and have them make real calls to real prospects or customers. Listen to the recordings, because they'll tell you what a demo won't. Check the CRM afterwards to see whether every call, note and outcome landed against the right record.
If you're comparing more widely, my lists of Dialpad alternatives and RingCentral alternatives cover the business phone side, and this guide to call centre software goes deeper on queues.
Before you move your numbers
- Confirm in writing that every number you've got can be ported, and how long the vendor expects it to take.
- Keep your old service running until calls are reaching the new one.
- Rebuild your call flows, hold messages and out-of-hours routing before you switch, not after.
- Check that call recording and data storage meet the rules where you and your callers are. Requirements vary, so check with your regulator.
- Tell your team the switch date and run a short practice session on the new app so nobody's learning it on a live call.
Do you make a cloud calling or contact centre tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a dialler and a contact centre tool?
A dialler is built for outbound calls, helping reps work through leads quickly from the CRM. A contact centre tool is built for inbound calls, with queues, routing and reporting for support agents.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers?
In most cases, yes, through a process called porting. Ask each vendor which countries and number types they can port, and keep your old service live until the move is complete.
Does call quality differ between providers?
It can, and it often varies by country and network. The only reliable test is real calls from your own team, to the places you call, during a trial.
Do I need a CRM integration for cloud calling?
If your team sells or supports customers from a CRM, it helps a great deal, because calls, notes and recordings land on the right record without manual logging.
Is call recording legal?
It depends on where you and the person you're calling are. Rules vary by country and sometimes by region, so check with your regulator before you switch recording on.
How many people should test a new calling tool?
A few reps or agents who'll make real calls every day is usually enough. Include at least one person from each team that'll use it, so both outbound and inbound get tested.
